Martha Plimpton Is TV's New Funny Mom In 'Raising Hope'

Tonight, Fox’s new comedy Raising Hopeshows you the latest unconventional family. Now family has come a long way over the years, so nothing should surprise you anymore. Martha Plimpton plays Virginia, whose son Jimmy becomes a single dad to an infant.

“I love the fact that she’s so sharp and that she’s so curious,” Plimpton said when she previewed the show at the Paley Center for Media on September 13. “She’s clearly working very hard to be well read but can’t ever seem to get the words right. I love that about her. I love the way she mispronounces big words. I love how she takes herself just a little bit too seriously but at the same time has a great sense of humor.”

Virginia lives in her mother’s house and Jimmy’s baby mama is out of the picture. “I love that in many ways she’s not a typical sitcom mom. She’s not just bickering and long suffering but she’s actually in there with her family experiencing it too, working it out as she goes along.”

When Jimmy really needs help, Virginia and her husband Burt show some of their parenting wisdom that got them through two sons of their own. This after all the wacky stuff.

“It turns out that no matter what all the mommy blogs and baby raising books say, every time somebody has a kid they’ve just got to work it out on their own. Ultimately at the end of the day, you’ve got to make your own rules.”

The family will get into lots of wacky mishaps with the new infant, but they’ll still be themselves throughout any shenanigans. “Most of the comedy really comes from the characters. It’s a little more organic. It’s not that jokey. I think Greg Garcia wants things to come out of a more authentic character driven place.”

Raising Hope airs Tuesdays on Fox.

Photo Credits: Fox Broadcasting Company

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